Every club leaves a mark. Explore the experiences that shaped my approach to football.
Eight seasons of daily work in youth football, where I developed my coaching identity through player development, training design and academy methodology.
Three countries. Different challenges. One commitment to keep evolving.
I never saw coaching as a second option. From the beginning, I was drawn to the work behind every performance: the preparation, the decisions, the people and the responsibility of helping a team grow.
Eight seasons at Villarreal CF gave me the foundations of my coaching identity. Day after day, working with young players taught me to value the process as much as the result. It was where I learned to design training with intention, demand consistency and understand development as a long-term commitment.
Leaving Spain to lead the U21 team at Lion City Sailors meant adapting to a new football culture and a different environment. It challenged my assumptions and made me more flexible as a coach, without compromising the principles I believe in.
At Al Ettifaq, I continued to grow through the daily demands of competitive academy football. Coaching in a new country reinforced an important lesson: leadership starts with understanding people, building trust and setting standards that remain consistent through difficult moments.
Leading the U21 team while contributing to the methodology of the elite academy has broadened my perspective. Today, my ambition is not only to build competitive teams, but also to help create an environment where coaches and players can improve together.
Three countries. Three football cultures. One evolving identity.
01 / 03Eight seasons at Villarreal CF Academy, where daily coaching, player development and methodology shaped my approach to the game.
“IF WE WAIT UNTIL MATCHDAY TO START COMPETING, WE’RE ALREADY TOO LATE.”
JOSÉ MATAIX / COMPETITIVE MINDSET
Proactive football. Collective organisation. Aggressive pressing. Playing with courage and purpose.
Manipulate the opponent, recognise advantages and play with intention.
Be aggressive, organised and ready to recover possession as quickly as possible.
Competitive standards are built through daily habits, not only on matchday.
A visual introduction to my principles: attract, create advantages and attack space.
INTERACTIVE SEQUENCE · NO MATCH FOOTAGE
INTERACTIVE TACTICAL DEMONSTRATION — NOT ACTUAL MATCH FOOTAGE.
Training, preparation and a commitment to continuous improvement.
Trust, relationships and high standards built together.
Thoughts on football, competition, leadership and the daily process of building a team.
Competition begins in our daily habits, decisions and standards—not at kick-off.
READ ARTICLE ↗02 / NOTES ON FOOTBALLWhy proactive football starts with collective intention and courage.
READ ARTICLE ↗03 / NOTES ON FOOTBALLBuilding trust, demanding standards and authentic relationships.
READ ARTICLE ↗EDITORIAL PREVIEW — ARTICLES ARE STARTER DRAFTS TO REVIEW BEFORE PUBLICATION. NEW ARTICLES CAN BE ADDED MONTHLY IN WEBFLOW CMS.
Development is measured over years, not moments. A selection of players I have coached directly across Spain, Singapore and Saudi Arabia.
Selected direct coaching experience. Clubs, international appearances and career milestones can be added after verification.
During my years at Villarreal CF, I also worked in academy methodology and coordination. Players including Yeremy Pino, Nicolas Jackson, Filip Jörgensen and Álex Baena progressed through the club’s wider development pathway. This is academy context, not a claim that I coached them directly.
Perspectives, conversations and stories from a coaching journey across three countries.
COVER STORY / 01From Villarreal CF to Lion City Sailors. An interview about adapting, developing players and growing as a coach.
READ THE INTERVIEW ↗
PRESS↗On coaching, adaptation and building a competitive culture at Lion City Sailors.
VIDEO↗An international coaching journey from Spain to Saudi Arabia.
VIDEO↗Watch the original video on YouTube.
VIDEO↗Watch the original video on YouTube.
VIDEO↗A video shared from José Mataix’s media collection.
VIDEO↗A video shared from José Mataix’s media collection.
PODCAST↗Listen to the original Spotify episode.
PODCAST↗Listen to the original Spotify episode.
PODCAST↗Listen to the original Spotify episode.
PODCAST↗Listen to the original Cadena SER recording.
PRESS↗José Mataix’s coaching journey from Sax to Singapore.
PRESS↗A radio conversation about everyday life and football amid regional tensions.
PRESS↗José Mataix speaks about his experience during tensions in the Middle East.
PRESS↗Media coverage of José Mataix in Saudi Arabia.
PRESS↗Media coverage of life in Saudi Arabia during regional tensions.
PRESS↗Coverage of a coaching education event in Peñíscola.
PRESS↗Club feature about Villarreal’s academy. Contextual background, not a personal interview.
Selected photographs from José Mataix’s coaching portfolio accompany the linked interviews and media appearances. Original publisher imagery will be used where available and verified.
A compact tactical situation with full pitch width and an onside front four: goalkeeper just behind two centre-backs, two base players, two players in the pockets and four on the last line, against a high-pressing 4-4-2.
Invite pressure on one side without losing the ability to switch play.
Defend away from our goal. Close spaces together, press aggressively towards the ball and react immediately after losing possession. The objective is to regain the ball as high and as quickly as possible.
The front three initiate the press. The 9 curves his run to close the return pass; the ball-side winger jumps to the full-back. The midfield follows forward as one unit.